Riddle for fur-blowing machines.



H. B. FANTON. RIDDLE PoR FUR BLOWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1908.

900,993. Patented 0t.13,1908.

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'w /-T/ /3 /3 e e h2o: IZ. um' Q vlllrl. 'Ill' /o T **L HARRY B. FANTON, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

RIDDLE FOR FUR-BLOWING MACHINES.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application led January 16, 1908, Serial No. 411,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, HARRY B. FAN'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, county of Fairfield, State -of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Riddle for Fur-Blowing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a riddle for fur-blowing machines, which shall be simple and inexpensive to produce and thoroughly durable.

It is of course well understood by those familiar with the art of preparing fur for use in the manufacture of hats that the riddles used in blowing machines are suspended at an angle of forty-five degrees, more or less, and are kept in constant vibration, usually by the blowsof a rotary knocker. The operative portion of the riddle consists of a series of parallel strands. It is desirable, for obvious reasons, that these strands should be made of wire but it has been impossible heretofore to make them of wire for the reason that no known metal or alloy when drawn to the required fineness for the strands would stand the vibration of use but would break quickly. For this reason it has heretofore been necessary to make the strands of fine textile cords which have been wound continuously about metallic pins or tacks driven into the frame. These cords' last in use better than continuous wire strands but break so quickly as to cause an important item of expense in the process of preparing the fur for use, especially as the breaking of a single strand makes it necessary to re-wind the entire riddle.

My present invention enablesrne to provide a riddle quite as inexpensive to make as those heretofore in use, in which the use of textile strands shall be dispensed with, which shall be extremely durable and in which as the strands are independent wires the breaking of a strand will not render the rewinding of the riddle necessary as a broken strand or strands can be replaced in a moments time by the insertion of a new strand or strands.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the novel riddle of which the following description. in connection with the accompanying drawing is a specification, reference characters being used to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my novel riddle as in use, the retaining strips being partlybroken 4away to show the manner in which the wire strands are loosely retained in place; and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 in Fig. l..

10 denotes a frame which may be put together in any ordinary or preferred manner, the special construction of the frame not being of the essence ofthe invention. In the structure illustrated, 11 and 12 denote upper and lower retaining strips, 13 end stripsand 14 a cross stri riddle is hinged as at 15 to t e framework of the machine which is indicated by 16. The frame is provided on its under side near the lower end with pads 17 which receive the blows of a knocker, indicated by 18.

19 denotes the strands of the riddle, which consist of vertically disposed, independent wires. These wires or strands pass freely through holes in cross strip 14 and the lower ends thereof rest in sockets 20 in the inclined frame, in the present instance in lower retaining strip 12, the upper ends of the strands restin in sockets 21 in upper retaining strip 11. t will be noted that the strands are made shorter than the combined depth of the sockets added to the s ace between the top and bottom strips of the frame, so that the strands are not held rigidly in position but are free to move longitudinally in their sockets when the riddle is subjected to the blows ofthe knocker. This is the important feature of the invention. The effect of the free longitudinal movement permitted to the wire strands is to prevent crystallization of the metal of the strands and consequent breakage of the strands. I find in practice that the strands of riddles made in this manner wear for an almost unlimited length of time and that the cost and loss of time caused by repairing the riddles is practically eliminated from the process of preparing the fur for use. I't is important, furthermore, to note that should a strand or strands break, the broken strands may be replaced in a mornents time by removing -the retaining strips from the frame, inserting new strands in the place of the'broken ones and then replacing the retaining strips. In contradistinction to this it shouldbe noted that where textile strands are used, should a strand break entire rewinding of the riddle is made necessary.

I-Iaving thus described my invention I claim:

1. A riddle, for fur blowing machines, comprising a hinged, inclined frame having In use, the.

sockets, and a series of vertically disposed, independent Wire strands loosely iitting the said sockets, and being thus adapted for end- Wise or longitudinal movements therein.

2. A riddle, for fur blowing machines, comprising a hinged, inclined frame, top and bottom retaining strips secured to the frame and provided With sockets, and vertically disposed strands consisting of independent Wires Whose ends are loosely seated in the said sockets, the said Wires being thus free 'to move endWise in the sockets, whereby breakage is prevented.

3. A riddle, for fur blowing machines, comprisingT a hinged, inclined frame having sockets and a cross piece, and a series of vertically disposed Wire strands passing loosely through the said cross piece and 'litting the said sockets loosely, and being thus adapted for longitudinal or endwisc movements therein.

Ll. ln a fur blowing machine, the combination with a knoeker, of a hinged, inclined riddle adapted to be vibrated thereby, said riddle being provided with sockets and compris ing a series oi vertically disposed \\'i1'esirands loosely engaging said sockets and l'ree to move endniso or longitudinally therein.

In testimony whereof lv allx my signai nre in presence of two witnesses.

llirltl B. l1`i,\i\"l`(),\` Vlitnesses:

SIDNEY C. Picon, Enne. A. llenen.` 

